The present disclosure relates generally to the field of passive cooling and more particularly to passive cooling of electronics devices.
Legacy electronics device cooling technologies typically use a forced air cooling method to remove heat from the electronics device. More recently, advanced cooling methods, such as water cooling and phase cooling systems, have been explored. However, there are many issues, for example with installation and maintenance that arise from the use of these systems in electronics devices.
The majority of existing systems depend on a forced air cooling method, i.e. fans. In existing systems, fans are used to cool processors and other internal components. Fans suffer from multiple deficiencies. For example, fans require significant physical space, are noisy because of high RPMs, require a significant ventilation space, produce heat as they are working to reduce heat, and consume vast amounts of power to operate. Additionally, the manufacturing process by which the majority of fans are made in some instances may use harmful industrial chemicals that could be reactivated as the temperature of a fan's blades increases thereby releasing these chemicals into exposed environments. Thus, there are high costs as well as potential health and environmental issues associated with operating fan-based systems. Often, data centers are designed for more wattage then necessary in order to account for necessary, but inefficient cooling systems. In addition, fan-based systems are prone to failure due to accumulation of dust, motor malfunction or burn-out thereby increasing operational and maintenance costs. When over-heating occurs components suffer irreversible damage, increasing cost, power consumption, and environmental impact.
Liquid cooling systems are two systems in one. Liquid cooling systems are greatly limited in their cooling capacity, depending on the configuration of the electronics device. Liquid cooling systems require heat exchangers such as a radiator. As a result, liquid cooling systems still require fans to cool the radiator and other components not attached to a heat exchanger thereby supplanting the inefficiency of a forced air cooling system with a potentially dangerous and costly liquid cooling system still reliant on fans. Liquid cooling systems require significant physical space, are complicated, are noisy because of radiator fans, require a significant ventilation space, produce heat as they are working to reduce heat, and consume vast amounts of power to operate and maintain. The end user must devote significant time and effort to set-up and maintain a liquid cooling system.
Moreover, the proximity of cooling liquid with electronics is a potential safety risk. Because components produce a lot of heat, the tubing typically used is constantly expanding and contracting causing the tubes to fail and leak cooling solution, which can result in electrical shorts and irreparable internal damage.
Phase cooling involves using a compressor system to cool electronics. Phase cooling typically only cools the CPU so fans are still needed to cool other components. The fans and compressor make a significant amount of noise, require extensive maintenance, and consume a significant amount of power. Operating a phase cooling system requires a high degree of technical proficiency.
Thus, improved cooling systems and techniques are needed.